Sparkling Lies
by WolvenGoddess
Summary: Rose and Scorpius were best friends. They shared everything with each other and held nothing back, until the day when they stepped over the line from being just close friends to two friends who may have deep feelings for each other. A year and a half later, Rose is hurt by Scorpius' reaction, attempting to deal with the pain in her own way. Please review! It makes me feel loved!
1. First Day Back

Sparkling Lies

First Day Back

"Hey Katie, how were your holidays?"

"Oi! Gimme back my wand asshole!"

"Yeah, I know right? He's a total hottie! You should _so_ go out with him, Harriet."

Dozens of conversations went on around me, everyone catching up with their friends after summer holidays. I sat by myself, as I had done for the last couple years, staring down at my plate. Marinated chicken wings, buttered vegetables, salad. Most of it was untouched; only the leafy green lettuce had been tentatively picked at. I never had much of an appetite first night back. There was something about travelling by train that my stomach couldn't handle. Just the thought of it had me turning green.

Pushing my plate away in disgust, I scanned the hall through the strands of hair falling across my face. Students everywhere were talking to their neighbours, or yelling down the table at someone. Spit was flying out of the mouths of a few of the more enthusiastic students. They, of course, had the flaming red hair marking them as Weasley. And occasionally the jet-black hair of the Potters. Honestly, you would think they were raised by wolves. I had always been one for following rules and traditions so it was no surprise I was sorted into Gryffindor. Yeah, that's right; I'm a freckled, redheaded Weasley. Rose Weasley, actually. Not quite as loud-mouthed as my brother and cousins, but still definitely related.

I spotted Albus sitting with his girlfriend, Alexandria, over at the Slytherin table. Yeah I know, I was shocked when he was sorted. When it had finally come to my turn I had been so afraid I was destined for the same fate. I guess I'm pretty dramatic too, just another of my lovely traits. Even though I share a lot of characteristics with the Slytherin's, I stayed true to my heritage and was sorted into the same house as the rest of my family.

Sitting on the other side of Albus was a broad shouldered (and extremely toned) guy. The top couple buttons of his white school shirt were undone and his green and silver tie was loosened and crooked. The shirt strained in certain places across his chest and arms, leaving no doubt that he worked out. A lot. A long, straight and proud nose sat above a slightly full mouth. It was void of a smirk for the moment but there was no question it wouldn't be long before it returned. A slight shadow covered the lower half of his face, indicating a slight beard that was too pale to really see. It, like the shoulder-length hair on his head, was platinum blonde, making him stand out quite a bit in a crowd of mostly dark haired students. His overwhelming personality and ego helped him stand out the rest of the time. Finally reaching his gorgeous silver eyes in my silent observation, I locked gazes with him.

As if to just prove that I am my father's daughter, my face immediately went flaming red. I looked down at my plate, not quite missing the smirk he flashed my way.

It hasn't even been one day back and I've already done something stupid. Why did I have to look at him? It only encouraged more embarrassment on my behalf. Sighing, I got up, grabbed my bag and walked out of the Great Hall. I don't think you're supposed to leave before the Headmaster dismisses everyone, but I long ago stopped caring.

Oh well. Not like anyone would have noticed me leaving. They're all always much too absorbed in their own lives for that. Maybe Al would have noticed, but it wasn't exactly abnormal for me to ditch dinner early. He was my oldest friend, the only one who had actually stuck by me over the years. Sure, he had a girlfriend now, and we had become less close lately, but he was still there for me when I needed him. If it hadn't been for the fact that he was in Slytherin, we might have been even closer. When your best friend/cousin is disliked by your own house, it kind of puts a damper on things. Not to mention the fact that his best friend is none other than Scorpius Malfoy. I stopped that train of thought in its tracks.

I deliberated for a minute at the foot of the stairs, unsure where I really wanted to go. Making up my mind, I climbed up to the second floor landing and disappeared behind a portrait. I went down this corridor then turned left at the end, then right at the end of the next one. This corridor had large windows at the end, letting the bright moonlight stream in. It was just bright enough to see by. Dropping my bag at the foot of the wall of glass, I dug out my drawing book and favourite pencil.

I settled myself cross-legged in the middle of the corridor, a blank page in front of me.

The drawing started out rough, not really amounting to much, but as the minutes passed a face began to form. My eyes weren't really focused, my hand moving across the page to add details, shadowing. A shade darker here, a highlight added there. Any mistakes I made, I used my wand to erase. Finally it was finished and I kind of just sat there for a minute looking at it.

Why did I have to do this to myself? Like seriously. How pathetic could I possibly get? I ripped the page out of the book, screwing it up in my hand as I stood. I shoved my stuff back in my back and slung it over my shower, mentally abusing myself. May as well head back to my common room. Everyone else was bound to be in bed by now so no one would notice me coming back late. Passing a smouldering torch, I dropped the crumbled paper in it and didn't look back as I made my way to the Gryffindor common room.

The Fat Lady grumbled something about never being able to sleep but swung open anyway when I snapped the password. Typically for the first night back, no one was in the common room. I slouched down into a chair in front of the fire, staring moodily into the flames. What a brilliant start to the year. My old friends were still pretending that I don't exist, which was evident on the train ride when I was stuck sitting in a compartment by myself. All holidays I had been forcing cheerfulness for my parents and family, but now that I'm confined to the walls of Hogwarts once again…

"Ugh." I muttered, dragging myself out of the chair and up the stairs to the sixth year girls' dorm room. Four sets of curtains were drawn, leaving the bed next to the bathroom empty. _I guess this is my bed then_, I thought, checking the name on the trunk at the foot of the bed, just in case. There it was, in bold letters, R. J. WEASLEY. As I was just about to straighten up, a little white fur ball launched itself at me from under the bed. I giggled as I clutched my kitten to my chest. Big gray eyes stared up at me, as if she was reprimanding me for being out late. I had named my little fluff ball Aphrodite because she managed to make everyone who met her fall in love with her immediately.

Setting her down on my bed, I dug out some comfortable clothes; a loose gray sweater, pink and gray patterned tights and my favourite Muggle clothing item, UGG boots. It wasn't quite cold weather yet but the halls still got pretty chilly. Giving Aphrodite a last pat, I slipped back downstairs and out the portrait door. I had a place in mind that I wanted to go, but I had to be careful that Filch and his stupid cat didn't catch me out of bed. I might be one of the schools Prefects, but that didn't mean much to the old wart. The corridors were pretty much black but I didn't want to risk lighting my wand, so I had to feel my way through the near dark. That was okay though. After so many years of being a slight insomniac, I was able to find my way fairly easily. I bypassed the Astronomy Tower (no doubt there would be a couple up there doing who-knows-what) and headed towards the entrance to one of the smaller ones. This led to a tiny room with a spiral staircase leading to the top. In the shadows, there was also a spiral staircase going _down_, and that was the one I followed. I'm unsure how long it took me but I eventually halted in front of a door. Smiling to myself I pushed it open and was rewarded by a blast of cold wind.

I was standing on a balcony on the east side of the castle, overlooking part of the Forbidden Forest. I walked along it, reaching yet another door. This one led instead to a cozy little room and I smiled, enjoying the scent the room seemed to always have. Like a mixture of cinnamon and vanilla. I loved it. The fireplace in the corner emitted warmth enough to engulf the whole room, but I settled onto the love seat in front of it anyway. I lay on my back, looking up at the ornately carved ceiling. Not many people noticed, but the ceilings of Hogwarts displayed some of the finest art in the world.

There were a few oak bookcases by the window that held dusty old books and manuscripts and a few odd looking ornaments. I wasn't all that keen on touching those, when I had been told stories about cursed jewellery cases and statuettes, but I did inspect the books and found they were very interesting. I doubted these had ever been in the school library; they seemed more like someone's personal reading materials. Whomever it was who put them here had obviously long left Hogwarts, judging by the mildew I had found on their leather spines. A desk sat to the left of the bookcases, underneath another window. A lamp sat on it, positioned just so, allowing for easy reading.

It was so comfortable and warm where I was, and I was in no hurry whatsoever to leave. I must have fallen asleep because next thing I know I've rolled off the loveseat and landed in a rather undignified way on my arse. Unfortunately, a grunt-like sound escaped my lips too.

Dragging myself to my feet, I notice the fire had almost completely gone out, with only golden embers left. I pulled back my sleeve and tried to read my watch in the dark. I ended up having to light my wands so I could read it. It was well past four in the morning, about time I got up. The light glinted off the small diamonds that lined the rim of the watch and accented each number. It had been a gift from my parents on my fifteenth birthday. I had begged for it for months before they finally gave in.

The walk back to my dorm was slow; I mostly dawdled, looking out each window I passed. I thought I heard something rustling behind me, so I slowed, subconsciously cocking my head to the side. The darkness must be getting to me and making me hear things. I shook my head and continued to the common room.

"Oof!" I walked straight into something solid that was blocking my path. What the hell? I don't remember a wall being here. I squinted up at whatever it was, just faintly making out the outline of something – or more accurately, someone – standing in front of me. Oh fuck, what if it's a teacher?

I was just beginning to freak out completely when I heard a deep chuckle and an awfully familiar voice come from a foot above my head. "Knowing you, you're probably freaking out right now thinking I'm a teacher."

My worry immediately dissolved into anger. "_Lumos_." I muttered furiously, illuminating the smirking face of Scorpius Malfoy.

I glared up at him, "What the fuck do you want?"

"Hey, tone down the animosity! _You're _the one who walked into _me_, remember?" he crossed his arms defiantly over his chest, only managing to make his exposed forearms ripple in the soft light. I forced my eyes back up to his face, biting the inside of my cheek to distract myself. Why on earth did he have to be so god damn good looking?

"You didn't have to be standing there!" I snapped, poking him in the chest and regretting it almost immediately when I felt the hard muscle beneath the shirt. I'm fairly sure I actually growled at him before side-stepping him and storming off down the hall.

Of course, he kept up with me easily, only managing to aggravate me further.

Rounding on him, I tried to keep my voice low but it just came out as a strangulated whisper, "I don't know _what_ your problem is but I have no interest in talking to you. Not now, not ever. Not after last year. So if you would please excuse me!" Ashamedly, I'm fairly sure I half ran back to my room, only to collapse on my bed and stare up at the canopy.

Finally giving up on sleep around dawn, I slipped out of bed and braced myself against the cold. I had always thought it ridiculous that they thought we should be restricted to a single trunk, so as soon as I had been old enough to learn, I packed multiple trunks and used a spell to shrink them. I would then put the shrunk trunks in my main one, mightily proud of myself. Seriously, who was expected to fit everything into one standard-sized trunk without forgetting something important?

So I opened my trunk, pulling out a few smaller ones as well as my leather school bag. Most of the school was still sleeping by the time I was dressed so I was already in the Great Hall before any of my dorm mates were even stirring. It was a warm morning so I had thrown my robes over the seat beside me, exposing the white school shirt and plaid skirt I usually wore underneath. My gorgeous black leather heels I wore tapped against the floor under the table in time to the beat I had stuck in my head. I had worn heels my whole life, to the extent that my feet couldn't handle flat-soled shoes anymore.

I was leaning on the table, my long red hair slung over my shoulder, flipping through one of the text books we were supposed to use this year. I had already read them all before school started of course, but with classes starting today I wanted to be up to speed. I was top in all my classes, sometimes tying with Scorpius, but still the best out of all my cousins. That's all that really mattered; I needed to outshine them in something.

Too bad my obsession with winning had cost me any friends I had managed to procure. My family still talked to me and included me in everything, but aside from that they basically just got on with their own lives. So involved in my thoughts as I was, I didn't notice someone was standing next to me until they cleared their throat. My head whipped up so fast I'm fairly sure I got whiplash. I stared with wide eyes at my lanky cousin.

"Al?" I asked, confused, "What are you doing here?" I looked around for his girlfriend, Alexandria, but only saw a couple of Hufflepuffs stumbling toward their table and a perky Ravenclaw eating by herself at the Slytherin table.

Al ran a hand through his already messy hair and looked a bit sheepish. "I was just, uh, wondering if I could maybe sit with you?"

I kind of just sat there blinking at him for a minute, my thoughts stuttering like a broken record. Memories flashed through my head. The first time Albus had chosen to sit with his girlfriend in class and not me. When I had tried to hang out with him in the holidays and he had been too preoccupied owling Alexandria to pay attention to me. The Christmas' I had spent playing Wizarding Chess by myself instead of with him.

"Rose?" Poor Albus was looking a bit uncomfortable as I sat there staring at him. Pull yourself together woman! I scolded myself.

"Oh. Uh, sure." Yeah, brilliant reply Rose. You can totally see why I'm top in my class. I moved my robes over to the other side of me along with my beloved leather bag. In my hurry to move them, I dropped the bag on the floor, spilling the contents everywhere. Inkpots and pencils went everywhere and my drawing book landed at Al's feet. "Shit!" I exclaimed, scrambling to pick everything up.

"What's this?" Ow! I had banged my head on the table while trying to retrieve my makeup case.

"What?" I grumbled, stuffing everything back in my bag. Al didn't answer so I looked up, annoyed at the shitty start to the day, and froze where I sat. He was holding my drawing book, slowly flipping through it. I had never ever shown anyone my sketches and I didn't know if I liked it or not that my cousin was looking at something I had kept private for so long.

I didn't realise I'd been holding my breath until Al looked down at me with a huge smile, "Rose, these are brilliant! I never knew you were so good at drawing!" My breath left me in a relived sigh. Shrugging, I got to my feet. Do you know how difficult it is to stand up while wearing heels and trying not to flash your underwear to the whole room?

"Yes well, that's what happens when you have no friends, I guess." I mumbled, taking my book back and stuffing it in my bag. By now students were filing into the hall and Al was bound to be heading back over to his house table and his girlfriend. I sat back down like I was before and put a pile of fruit salad on my otherwise empty plate, although I had no intention of eating it.

I couldn't have been more surprised when I heard a thump and felt the bench move a bit as Al settled into the seat beside me. I stared at him, eyes wide and confused. This isn't what was supposed to happen. Nothing like this had happened in over a year! A cold feeling settled over me. What if this was some sort of sick joke? It's true that I hadn't really been close to my cousin in a bit over a year, but surely he wouldn't stoop so low as to do this.

"So, what's up?" I flinched when Al spoke, afraid my inner rambling could actually be true.

"Uh, not much? Where's Alexandria?" The last bit kind of came out without my brain really permitting it. Why did just about everything I said turn out sounding like a question? And I did it again.

The look on Al's face turned even more awkward. "She kind of broke up with me."

Wait, what? I did a double take there. I had so not been expecting that.

"Oh." Yet another eloquent reply from Rose Weasley. Mentally slapping myself, I scrutinised Al's face. There was definitely a bit of sadness there, in the way his mouth turned down at the corners and in the tightness in his eyes.

"I'm really sorry to hear that Al. I know how close you two were." I said softly, trying not to show how awkward this was for me. This conversation was only bringing up more bad memories. Before I could let him respond, I grabbed my bag and robes and jumped up, muttering something about being late for class, and hurried out of the Great Hall.

I am such a coward, I couldn't help thinking. As soon as your ex-best friend starts talking to you, you bolt! My mind flashed back to last night in the hall with Scorpius. God, I'm getting a lot of practice at this.

Quickly checking my bag, I swore. I hadn't stayed at the table long enough to collect my timetable from whichever teacher handed it out. I looked around, scarcely hoping there would be someone in my house and year who could tell me what I had today. Typically, I was alone. This was going to be beyond embarrassing.

Taking a deep breath, I turned on my heel and stalked back into the Great Hall, pausing only briefly to figure out which teacher had the timetables. As I walked up to Professor Longbottom, I saw out of the corner of my eye Al sitting at the Slytherin table, deep in conversation with Scorpius. I could see them watching me and I was determined not to make it obvious I was looking at them.

"Excited to get to your first class, Miss Weasley?" Uncle Neville smiled at me as he tapped a piece of parchment with his wand and handed it to me.

I returned his smile, "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Walking back down the aisle of students wasn't as difficult this time round, but I made sure to step carefully so as not to fall on my face. A few of them gave me weird looks as I walked past, no doubt having noticed the spectacle I made of myself not five minutes earlier.

Once out the door and safe from prying eyes once again, I memorized my timetable. Double charms first. I could deal with that.

The whole way there, all I could hear was the clicking of my heels against the stone floor and it soothed me. The corridors were a bit chilly in this part of the castle so I slipped my robes on, but left them undone at the front. I shook my hair out so it fell down my back in soft auburn curls.

Because of my leaving the Hall early, I got to class before Professor Flitwick was even there. Story of my life much. Maybe it was some kind of OCD? I'd have to do some research on that when I got back home; I doubt they would have books on Muggle illnesses in the school library. One definite benefit of getting to class early was sitting where ever I liked, without having to choose out of the undesirable left over seats.

I settled into a seat at the back, ignoring the stereotype of nerds sitting in the front row. I organised my parchment and ink on the table before settling back with my drawing book. Flipping through the pages, I noticed one I couldn't remember drawing. It was the profile of a guy, most of the features in shadow, as though he was in a dark room. I could just make out mussed up hair, matriarchal nose, slight curve of the lips into a smirk…

When I realised who it was I almost dropped the book. I thought I'd thrown these all away! I was just about to rip the page out when a voice behind me stopped me cold.

"Is that me?" Although my shoulders tensed in embarrassment, I couldn't help but feel shocked at the hint of pleased surprise in Scorpius' voice. Not trusting myself to speak, I just shrugged non-committedly and snapped the book shut. I was about to shove it back in my bag, hair thankfully hanging in my face to hide my blush, when a tanned, masculine hand placed itself over mine. I would know that hand anywhere. I had spent six years wanting to draw it, attempt to capture the perfect bone structure encased under a delicate brown layer of skin. In all that time, I had only brought myself to draw his face, unwilling to let any feature be forgotten.

I slowly lifted my head to look at him, reluctant to see what I feared was there. What I saw instead shocked me.

Awe.

I wasn't expecting _that_.

Scorpius met my gaze steadily. "Why didn't you ever tell me you could draw like that?" My heart leapt, threatening to spill out of my mouth with whatever I said next.

Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I managed to speak. "I didn't think you would be interested." I looked down at the hand that was still placed over mine and he seemed to take the hint and took it away. I ignored the fluttering in my stomach as his fingers brushed mine. Unexpectedly, he grabbed the drawing book and straightened, flipping it open.

"Don't!" I tried to lunge for it, but he just held it out of my reach with a smirk. I scowled, crossing my arms over my chest.

When we had been friends, I wouldn't have had a second thought before tackling him to the ground to get it back, but no way was I going to do that now. As much as I might long to have that familiarity with him again, I know I cannot allow it. I do not think my heart could take it. I watch, resigned, as he examined each page carefully, mixed emotions flickering over his face with each one.

When he reached the one that is unmistakably him, he pauses and I see he wants to say something.

"I drew it that night, when, you know." My voice broke at the end, much to my dismay, and I turned in my chair to fully face the front. If I was going to cry, he was not going to see it.

There had been a time when we had been on the verge of something more than friendship. Despite my misgivings, I had let him know to some extent my feelings for him. We had been sitting in the Slytherin common room, far past the time when everyone had shuffled off to bed. We were sitting on the velvet green couch in front of the fire, huddled close to fight off the chill in the air. I believe I was sitting on Scorpius' lap, actually. It had been totally normal at the time, something we did often and regarded as nothing to second-guess. That was before I kissed him though. Then the compromising position became much more… questionable.

I guess Scorp remembered too, judging by the blush I could see on his cheeks out of the corner of my eye.

How unfortunate we could never go back to that, I thought. I watched the teacher and students enter the room and start the class. For some reason that completely baffled me, Scorpius sat down in the seat next to me and began to make himself comfortable. Plopping his bag on the floor, he dug out his parchment and quills, oblivious to the incredulous stare I was aiming at him.

He turned and saw me looking, raising his eyebrows. "What?"

I shook my head, tuning back in to what Flitwick was saying about pre-cautions to charms going wrong. Scorpius and I didn't talk for the rest of the lesson, just listening and writing lengthy notes. At times I would get distracted, watching the way his hand would deftly form bold but surprisingly elegant letters on the parchment. Each time I would have to snap myself out of it, scolding myself.

By the end of the double lesson, I was significantly ruffled. Without looking at Scorpius, I headed for the dungeons and my double Potions. I was in no way expecting him to have the same lesson as me now, let alone for him to catch up with me and walk beside me. The whole walk down to the dungeons was horrific. I spent the majority of it trying my best not to look at Scorpius, although by the time we got to the classroom, I'm fairly sure I looked more times than I didn't. Unfortunately, I also stumbled a lot, as my concentration was on not looking as Scorpius. Whenever I did begin to lose my footing, he would take hold of my elbow to steady me, further provoking my nerves.

"You know, I never meant for it to become like this." Scorpius said it so softly I almost didn't hear him over the screaming in my head. My heart thumped uncomfortably at his words, uncertain where this would lead.

Surprising myself, I turned on him rather abruptly. "Why is it like this then?" I snapped and we stood there for a few moments, watching each other before I turned away.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, stubbornly refusing to look at him as I said it. Seeing the hurt in his stormy grey eyes would just be too much for my already frazzled nerves. I jumped when I felt his hand on my arm and I looked back up at Scorpius.

"I didn't want to get closer than we already had because I didn't want to end up hurting you," Scorpius told me in a soft voice, staring at me with an intensity I had never seen in him before. "You know what my family is like. My grandparents are just as prejudiced and awful as they were thirty years ago and they still have plenty of influence over my mother and father. I didn't want to draw you into that."

I was kind of shocked by what Scorp said, but at the same time it made so much sense. Of course he wouldn't want me to be anything more than his friend. His family would never approve of a half-blood like me.

"What does it matter what they think?" I demanded, aggravation again building behind my breastbone. I was so sick of old prejudices against my family and our bloodlines. Why couldn't they just accept the fact that this was a new era and people no longer acted like that? When Scorp just looked at me with something akin to pity, I huffed and turned away. We stood in silence for what felt like eternity before the teacher turned up to open the door.

I chose a seat in the back again, not willing to have people staring at the back of my head. Much to my disappointment, Scorpius did not sit with me again.

1


	2. New Problems, Old Answers

New Problems, Old Answers

The first week back went by at a painfully slow pace. We had a mountain of homework to start off the term and I'd already been in several awkward situations involving Scorpius. One particular incident occurred while I was outside, on the banks of the lake, when he found me. I was stretched out against a tree, my denim jeans at risk of staining green from the grass, my death-trap shoes tossed to the side. I was drawing, just sketches of birds and trees that I could see from where I was sitting.

It was quite peaceful, listening to the chirping birds and the gentle lapping of the water on the shores of the lake.

"I hope that's another drawing of me," said Scorpius as he lowered himself down next to me. Rolling my eyes, I tilted the book towards him.

"As you can see, there are no smart arses here," I quipped, flipping the book closed. "Now, what do you want?"

Scorpius feigned hurt, clutching a hand to his heart and adopting a wounded expression.

"Honestly," I muttered, standing up and wiping grass off my butt, "How is it that you can be perfectly fine with not speaking to me for a week and then the one day you're acting like I never yelled at you?" I crossed my arms over my chest, hoping in spite of myself that he noticed the way my boobs pressed against my shirt with the action. Much to my disappointment, his eyes stayed firmly on my face. Damn his chivalrous self.

"I told you, I want us to be friends again," he said, tucking his hands into his jeans pockets and shrugging. "What's so bad about that?"

Ummm, maybe the fact that I wouldn't be able to restrain my passion and lust for you if we were ever alone in a room together? Deciding that probably wasn't the best idea, I tried something honest yet appropriate instead. "I would like to be friends too, Scorp, but I don't know if I can pretend like nothing happened between us." I bent down to collect my shoes and bag, yet again avoiding eye contact for as long as possible.

When I did look at Scorpius, he was smirking at me. "What?" I demanded, wondering if my shirt had somehow unbuttoned (while thinking that wouldn't be so bad).

"You haven't called me Scorp in a while," he said, eyes twinkling. I laughed despite myself, punched him in the arm and walked bare-footed back to the castle.

My second encounter with Scorpius was two days later in Potions. Our teacher, Professor Winkleton, is new to Hogwarts and therefore must be excused from his following mistakes. For the first project of the year, we were sorted into pairs to complete the task. Of course, he made the rookie mistake of pairing Scorpius and I together, which all the other teachers know better than to do. Professor Winkleton then followed that mistake up by saying that we were required to work together on the theoretical side of the project outside of class as well.

In some ways, this made me happy; in most ways, it created a problem.

I had started the year promising myself that I wouldn't give Scorpius the power to hurt me again. But when you are forced to spend more and more of your time in a persons company – especially when they begin to be the only person you spend time with – you start to relax.

To me, this wasn't good. Scorpius was more than accomplished at making me laugh and smile, as I should have known very well. This proved irritating when I was trying to stay irritated at him.

"Can you pass me those crushed beetles, Rose?" Scorpius asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, sorry," I passed him the ingredients and tried my best not to linger on his exposed forearms. The classroom tended to get humid while potion making, so Scorpius had discarded his robe and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt a while ago.

This was proving very distracting for me indeed. On several occasions Scorpius had to point out that I had given his the wrong ingredients and asked at least five times if I wanted him to crush the porcupine quills while I added them to the cauldron. By the end of the class I was certain that at this rate I was going to fail the year.

Determined, I cornered Professor Winkleton by his desk while the rest of the students filed out of the classroom.

"Professor. Sorry to keep you, but I was wondering if perhaps I could swap partners with someone? Anyone?" I added desperately.

Winkleton looked regretful and I knew what was coming. "I'm sorry Miss Weasley, but once I have chosen the pairs and submitted them to the school files, it cannot be undone." I opened my mouth to say that it wasn't set in stone when he held up a hand to stop me. "Perhaps in the earlier years matters such as these are fairly flexible but at such a delicate time in your schooling life, I am afraid I cannot change it."

Struggling to keep a calm expression, I thanked him and stalked out of the classroom. Much to my dismay, it seemed as though Scorpius had waited for me outside in the hallway.

"What? Stalking me now?" I was far too annoyed to bother with being polite. If I had offended Scorpius, his grin definitely didn't show it.

"Your request didn't go down well then?" he asked cheekily, "I guess you will be stuck with me for the rest of term then." He then grabbed my hand and pulled me along down the hallway.

"But this isn't the way to the Great Hall," I protested, "I'll miss lunch!"

Scorpius gave me a funny look, "Lunch was over two hours ago."

"Oh."

We walked in silence for a few minutes and I was painfully aware that my hand was still clasped firmly in his. After a while, he looked down at me, probably concerned at the fact that for once I didn't seem to have anything to say. "Are you okay, Rose? You don't really seem yourself." He sounded so genuinely caring that I think my heart actually skipped a beat.

"I'm fine," I tried forcing a smile, but somehow I don't think he bought it. I sighed, "It's just weird. Last week Al started to talk to me again, then you seem to pop up wherever I am, and now I'm spacing out in one of my favourite classes. Could it possibly get any worse?" I stopped for breath, inwardly cursing myself for telling him what was on my mind.

"I can see how that would be weird, but it's nothing to freak out over, Rose."

"Are you serious? To me, failing a class is like losing a Quidditch match for you." It was true, Scorpius loved his role as the seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team, and typical for any male, he hated to lose.

He smirked, "Maybe you just need to chill out a bit."

"Chill out?" I raised my eyebrows at him, "I don't think my definition of 'chill out' is quite the same as yours."

Scorpius grinned at me, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"What?" I asked, suspicious of what he had in mind. He shook his head and grabbed my hand, pulling me ahead and left, down a corridor and further into the dungeons.

"You had better not be taking me to your pet dragon." I warned, and he snorted, "It will get a very nasty surprise if it tries to eat me." I was mostly joking. It made me nervous to be alone with Scorpius, especially in a part of the castle not many people frequented.

It seemed like we walked forever before he finally stopped outside a very elegantly carved door.

"Wow," I murmured without really realising. I couldn't help but be drawn into the beauty of the swirls and curves.

"I thought you might like it," Scorp said, smiling cheekily, "but do you wanna go in, or just stand here all day?"

I shoved at his chest playfully before indeed turning the brass door handle and pushing the heavy door open.

I gasped. The whole room, from floor to ceiling, was green. And I don't mean painted green, I mean _leafy_ green. Plants of every kind grew from pots of every shape and size, some winding through trellis', some supported by wooden stakes.

There were flowers in such bright hues I knew they had to be magical. I few plants I recognised but most were completely foreign to me.

After standing there gaping for a few minutes, I turned to Scorpius, "What is this place?"

He smiled again and brushed a piece of my hair behind my ear. It fell straight back to were it was as soon as he removed his hand, but that only made him smile more.

"I created it," he simply said. I was too amazed to question the statement. I knew he was really good at Herbology, but this completely exceeded my expectations.

"So is this where you bring all your conquests?" I asked, grinning, trying to regain my 'couldn't-care-less' demeanour. I also tried to act like the thought of Scorpius bringing other girls here didn't make a hole of pain bloom in my chest.

"Actually," he said, "you're the only person apart from Al who has been in here." My heart thumped with relief as he said it. "I had to negotiate with the Headmaster of course, but you know what he's like." Scorpius chuckled.

I did indeed know what Headmaster Gryffin was like. He sat in his office most of the time, only leaving it to join the rest of the school in the Great Hall for dinner. I don't think he's even _seen_ the dungeons since he was a student here.

I continued to look around in wonder. "I didn't realise you were so good at this. I knew you always had a talent for Herbology, but this… it's breathtaking."

Scorp flashed me a brilliant smile. "I never knew either, until about a year ago," Seeing the question in my eyes, he shrugged. "I guess we both found ways of dealing with our pain. Mine just isn't confined to pencils and paper."

Drawing hadn't been my only method for making the pain go away, but I wasn't about to tell him that. I cleared my throat.

"I had better get back to my common room. We've already got a tonne of homework and personally, I don't want to fail any classes." I tried to keep my eyes away from Scorpius, and tried to ignore my own feelings of hurt at having to leave his company.

"Oh. Yeah, sure," Scorpius said. I was almost positive that he sounded disappointed.

I smiled at him and left. This really was not a good day.

_Scorpius and I were sitting in the deserted Slytherin common room. He was sitting in one of the armchairs in front of the glowing embers of the fire, with me in his lap. We were rather intensely making out, and damn was it good._

_Scorp's lips were warm and supple as they caressed mine. His left hand was on my hip, holding me against him while his other hand inched its way up the back of my shirt. I shivered at the contact, arching my back and incidentally pressing myself even more into his chest. I scrunched his shirt in my fists, desperately trying to get closer. In my fervour, I nibbled on his bottom lip, eliciting a very sexy growl from him. _

_Suddenly, he was pulling my shirt off, biting and kissing his way down the side of my neck… his lips paused at the edge of my cream-coloured bra, only long enough for him to unclip it and before I knew it his lips were around my nipple. _

_I threw my head back and moaned, unconsciously moving my hips and rubbing myself against his quickly growing erection._

_It was pure bliss, but it still wasn't enough for me. I pushed him back into the chair, pulling his shirt off as I went. I delighted in the sculpted perfection that was his toned body before capturing his lips in mine again. _

I sat upright in bed with a gasp. With how hard I was breathing, you'd think I'd just run up to the Astronomy tower and back.

How far the dream may have gone if I hadn't woken I do not know. i groaned, painfully aware of how badly I wanted that dream to be true. It had started out that way, at the end of our fourth year, but it hadn't progressed any further than Scorpius' hand up my shirt.

Looking at my watch in the light from my wand, I sighed. It was only four in the morning and I was already wide awake. Deciding I may as well get up, I gave Aphrodite a few pats before slipping out of bed. She meowed at me as I started rummaging through my trunk and I hushed her. The last thing I needed was for my roommates to wake and discover me wearing a skimpy nightgown. They already though I was a tramp without adding to their rumours.

It wasn't my fault my older cousins (the female ones, of course) had this obsession with ensuring I had enough lacy underwear to open my own strip club. Honestly, I don't know what they got up to when they were at school, but I hadn't even slept with anyone yet and it wasn't like I had a boyfriend to show it off to.

Hmm. After a moment's thought, I chuckled to myself and extracted a matching silver and green bra and panties.

Scorpius had no idea what he was missing out on.

I had a free schedule until after lunch so decided to head to the library and catch up on some homework. I found an empty study table and got started on my charms. When I was sufficiently pleased with my progress, I got up to stretch and heard Scorpius' unmistakable chuckle.

Curious, I walked in the direction it had come from, wanting to know who other than me could make him laugh. Peering around the bookshelves, I spotted him sitting at a study table further back, close to the restricted section.

Careful he didn't see me, I pulled a book off the shelf in front of me, listening keenly.

"Look, mate," I heard Scorpius say, "I know what she's like even if we've only just started talking again and there is no way I am giving up." My heart thudded. Was he talking about me?

"That might be the case, but honestly, how are you going to convince her that you just want to be friends?" Albus! So it was Al he was talking to about me. The relief I felt was utterly ridiculous.

"Who said I just wanted to be friends?" replied Scorpius and I heard Al snort.

"You could at least pretend to have innocent motives around me. She is my cousin you know!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Scorpius wanted to be more than just friends? Or was he just messing around and saying it to get a reaction out of Al? Millions of thoughts were swimming around in my head and I was so distracted I knocked a book off the shelf. Shit!

"Hey, did you hear that?" I heard Albus say, along with the scraping of chairs as he and Scorpius stood up.

I ran back to my table as quickly and quietly as I could. I grabbed my stuff and rushed out of the library.

Herbology that afternoon with the Hufflepuffs was entertaining. Evidently, one of them forgot the nastier qualities of the Venomous Tentacula and got a little too close. They were reprimanded by Professor Longbottom and we got back on task. All I could think about was Scorpius' conversation with Al in the library. I scolded myself for thinking that maybe the extended version of my dream could come true after all.

After the lesson, I pulled my robes off so I was just wearing my school shirt and skirt. It was a warm afternoon and I was going to enjoy it while it lasted. Winter would set in soon and that generally meant layers upon layers of clothing. It also meant curling up in front of the common room fire reading a good book but I would much rather read next to the lake on a warm day.

I was having such a great day that I assumed I would easily fall asleep too. I laid in bed for over two hours, staring at the canopy of my bed and praying for sleep to take me. When that never came, I got up, dressed quickly in whatever I could find easily and left the tower. This time, I knew exactly where I was going.

My cosy little room was warm when I entered, the fire roaring in the grate, and I immediately felt at home. I reclined on the loveseat, smiling contentedly at myself. I quickly dozed off and had possibly the strangest dream of my life (aside from the almost-wet dream about Scorpius a few weeks ago).

_I was in what I assumed to be the Malfoy Manor, judging by the rather imposing blonde portraits lining the walls. At the end of the hall, two people whom I assumed were Draco and Astoria Malfoy stood, staring at me. Their intimidating gazes did not waver as I stood there awkwardly, feeling as though I had just walked into public without pants. Then, suddenly, I didn't have any pants and Scorpius was there. His eyes smouldered as he looked down at me, his face impassive. There was an electric current between us that I had never felt at such a high level with him before. That night we took things a step further… the feelings were all there but not at such an intoxicating and unnerving level. His gray eyes bored into me, heating me to my very core. I gasp, remembering his parents, but when I turn my head to look at them, they and the hallway were gone, a stone wall in its place. I was now in what looked like Scorpius' room, books and general guy stuff scattered around the room. _

"_Rose…" Scorpius murmured. I closed my eyes, trying to contain the feelings that one word ignited in me. I felt him grab my waist and I gasped. My eyes flew open to meet his and just the wanting, needing look in his expression made me melt. My gaze drifted down to his lips then back up to his eyes, silently begging. Please, Scorpius. That was his undoing. Roughly, he closed the distance between us, pushing me back against the wall. Just before his mouth claimed my own in a passionate embrace, I was falling, falling through the wall…_

And onto my ass. I blinked up through the bright morning light at the ceiling, realising with great annoyance that I had fallen off the loveseat again. I really needed to stop making a habit out of this.

Groaning, I got to my feet. Rather ungracefully, I might add.

"Interesting dream, huh?"

I think I must have jumped a mile in the air. If my wand had been in my hand, Scorpius would probably be dead right now. I glared at him.

"What the hell is your problem?" I rubbed my sore behind, sure it would be bruised tomorrow.

"What? I didn't push you off. You seemed quite capable of doing that yourself." The bastard grinned at me, clearing enjoying this whole situation.

"You could have at least caught me," I grumbled, really only arguing for the sake of it.

He smiling wryly at me, then began appraising my outfit.

"I forgot you stole that," he said casually. I frowned, thinking maybe the hair colouring was starting to effect his brain as well as his general presence.

Looking down at myself, I realised immediately what he was talking about. In my hurry last night, I hadn't stopped to choose my clothing. As a result, I was wearing one of Scorpius' old Quidditch shirts, overly huge and worn as it was. I flushed, closing my eyes against the embarrassment. Of course it would be Scorpius who watched me fall on my ass, of course it would be him who saw me wearing one of my most prized possessions. Would the humiliation never end?

"It's not like it would fit you now anyway," I muttered, picking at the hem of the shirt and simultaneously remembering that I wasn't even wearing a bra under it. Somewhere deep inside of me, I wished beyond a seconds thought that he would take me into his arms, lay me down on the loveseat and fulfil every one of my erotic fantasies.

"That's true. You also look far better in it than I ever did." That took me aback. I gaped at Scorpius, unbelieving and sure I had misheard. "Don't look at me like that," he said, serious. "You are beautiful, no matter what you wear. And it just happens that you look particularly delectable in my clothing." A slow smirk spread over his face and I yet again flushed. He couldn't possibly mean anything by that. Could he?

I couldn't for the life of me think of anything to say and just stood there, cursing to the heavens. Suddenly, he was in front of me, taking hold of my chin with one long-fingered hand. He tilted my hand back so I would look at him. Still, I refused to make eye contact.

"Rose," he whispered my name, almost reverently. The sound of my name on his lips was too much. It pulled at the deep, hidden place inside of me which demanded for me to _just kiss him already!_ I met his eyes. Those mercurial, possessing eyes which seemed to draw me in with such intensity I was left weak in the knees. It was too much for me, too confusing with everything that has already happened. I pulled away.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. I left before he could say otherwise. If I had given him the chance, there would be no going back for me.

**So sorry about the long wait, I'm currently in the midst of moving houses and also stressing because I start university in a weeks time! So it is a slightly shorter chapter but I already have the start of the next chapter written. Anyway, thankyou so much to those who reviewed/followed/favourited, as this is my first actual story that has lasted longer than five pages and feedback is so important to me. That has been my only motivation to write this second chapter actually so I hope you enjoy! And I apologise in advance for any current or future spelling mistakes as I sometimes overlook them even when I'm grammar/spell checking!**

1


	3. Would I Ever Be Enough?

Will I Ever Be Enough?

The next few weeks were almost a blur as they passed me by. Scorpius and I were slowly beginning to spend more time together, although it was mostly just studying together in the library, reading through each other's homework.

I tried to sound interested when he and Al were discussing upcoming Quidditch matches. Scorpius tried not to comment on the state of my sleeping pattern (or lack thereof). Al tried not to look too pleased with himself whenever he saw Scorp and I talking.

I was happy (mostly) for the first time in over a year and it was a blessed change.

I was sitting at the Gryffindor table this morning, picking apart my toast while reading. A distinct fluttering of wings announced the arrival of the post. The owls swooped in, carrying all manner of letters and parcels. Not expecting anything, I jumped and dropped my toast when a handsome tawny owl landed next to the pumpkin juice in front of me. it stared at me unblinkingly until I hesitantly took the piece of paper from its beak. I recognized the handwriting almost immediately.

_Meet me in the Slytherin Common Room tonight. I want to talk without you running away on me. – Scorp_

My heart leaped in my chest as I read Scorpius' elegant writing. I glanced over at the Slytherin table and saw him watching me. As our eyes met, a slow, devilish smirk grew on his face. Oh my. I'm fairly sure someone lit my face on fire, judging by the intense heat radiating from my cheeks.

The owl was still sitting on the table when I tore my eyes away from Scorpius and I realised it was expecting a reply. Digging a pencil out of my bag, I scribbled my answer on the back.

_It's a date. – R_

I gave the note back to the owl. It took flight - almost knocking over the pumpkin juice - and in a big arc over the tables, landed in front of Scorpius. Not exactly the most inconspicuous way of passing notes, but I guess that's Hogwarts for you.

I watched Scorpius read my reply, immensely pleased with myself when his cheeks coloured slightly. That was the closest he ever got to blushing, and it happened very rarely. I giggled to myself when Al tried to read the note over his shoulder but Scorpius hastily shoved it in his pocket.

I was a nervous mess after the note exchange, nerves and excitement chasing each other around my head. As it was a Wednesday, I had no classes and nothing to distract myself with. I was definitely not planning on going to the library to do homework all day.

I did end up going to the library, but no way was I going to study. Not that I would be able to concentrate anyway. Climbing the stairs to the floor, I passed some fifth year girls who all gave me filthy looks. I was taken aback, but shrugged it off, putting it down to hormonal teenagers.

I chose my favourite spot in the library – a table under a window overlooking the grounds – and settled myself in with my drawing stuff. After an hour or so a group of fourth year girls passed by, including my cousin Lily Potter. Her friends looked at me scathingly, barely masking what I swear was jealousy. When Lily spotted me, however, her face lit up and she rushed over.

"Oh my gosh, Rose!" she gushed, "Is it true?"

I blinked at her for a minute, not really sure what was happening. What was with everyone today? "What the hell are you talking about Lily?" I asked finally, extremely confused. Lily and I still spoke a lot while we were at home in the holidays, but when we were at school she preferred to stick with her friends. You can't imagine how odd this is for her to be talking to me in public, and being excited about it.

It was her turn to blink at me. "Well you and Scorpius Malfoy being an item of course."

She said it with such absolute certainty that it took me a few seconds to even realise what she had said. As it dawned on me, I probably would have fallen out of my seat if I hadn't clutched onto the table to steady myself.

"Um, what?" I spluttered, sure I had misheard. I wasn't sure if I wanted to howl with laughter or hunt down the gray-eyed bastard.

Lily gave me a strange look, "You are going out with Scorpius Malfoy… aren't you?" when I didn't reply she went on, "I heard it from Lorcan, who had heard it from some of his friends who are in Slytherin."

Oh really? Well, I was going to get to the bottom of this. I emptied my stuff into my bag, slung it over my shoulder and stalked out of the library, leaving Lily gaping after me.

It was times like this that I was so thankful I had found a cushioning charm that I put on my shoes every morning. Without it, I would have ditched my death-trap shoes by now and gone barefoot. As it was, it made it hard to go down stairs in a hurry. I took my time, the delay only adding to my annoyance, a million and one thoughts going through my head.

I finally made it to the dungeons before realising that I didn't know the password to the common room. It would have changed numerous times since I was there last. I cursed under my breath, hoping someone would just happen to be leaving as I got there.

Despite my hopes, this did not happen. After a while of just standing there in the cold corridor, I got impatient and decided to just try some words and hope for the best. I tried a few different words and phrases, to no avail. Until…

"Glory." I was so surprised when the door appeared in the stone wall in front of me. It worked! I snorted at their oh-so-brilliant choice in password and opened the door to go inside.

The Slytherin Common Room was exactly how I remembered. It was one of those rooms that is well lit, but still looks dim. Not that that even makes sense. There are green themed tapestries hanging from the stone walls depicting nature and underwater scenes with mermaids and water nymphs. The room is obviously underground, so there aren't any windows. The light comes from the silver and crystal chandeliers hanging from the moderately high ceiling and the fireplace on one wall.

The huge fireplace threw out the most light when it was lit, adding warmth to the room, which was a blessed change after the cold corridor. It was ornate and mostly silver, like everything else in the room, and it was by far my favourite feature of the room.

There were a few sixth- and seventh-year students sitting around talking or studying but it was mostly quiet. I got a couple strange looks while I stood there gazing around. Quite honestly, I didn't care.

I finally spotted Scorpius and Al sitting together in a corner playing chess. From the looks of it, Al was losing spectacularly. They hadn't yet noticed me. I strode over to them, ignoring everyone I passed. Like it was any of their business what I was doing in here. Well, it is their common room, but who cares.

"Seriously mate, just go talk to her about it. She'll understand." Al was saying to Scorpius as I approached.

Scorpius made a disbelieving sound as he turned to see who had randomly appeared next to him. If I hadn't been so irritated, I would have laughed at the surprise on his face as he saw me.

"Hey Scorp." I smiled winningly at him, which of course made him look even more worried. Al sunk low in his seat, as if hoping I wouldn't notice him. Luckily, my issue was with Scorpius, not him.

"Hey Rose," Scorpius replied, gray eyes wary.

"I assume you have heard the recent – and completely untrue, I might add – rumours that are currently circulating?" I raise my eyebrows at him, crossing my arms as I do so. The more dramatic, the better.

He and Al exchange mystified expressions.

"Man, it scares me how quickly news travels in this place," Al said, looking genuinely worried.

Scorpius turned back to me, clearly uncomfortable.

"Sorry Rose. Thomas Nott found the note from this morning." A dark expression crossed his face for a second before disappearing. "It must have dropped out of my pocket." He apologized. I felt my steely resolve melting as he gazed at me with those beautiful, truly remorseful eyes. Seriously woman, I scolded myself, make up your mind already! One minute you want to totally keep your distance from the guy and the next you're purposely seeking out his company. Do you want your heart broken?

I guess the problem was that it was already broken, from my own stupidity. What did I have to lose really?

I told my subconscious to shut up, which she did, albeit unwillingly. Resolved, I relaxed my tense stance and smiled weakly at Scorpius. "I guess you can't really help it. At least we both know it's not true anyway," I said, dearly wishing that it could be.

I couldn't help wondering – probably for the millionth time – what would have happened if I hadn't pushed away from him all that time ago.

Scorpius looked so relieved I almost laughed; he was beyond adorable.

"So, seeing as everyone will now be expecting me here tonight, where are we going to meet instead? I don't fancy having an audience for our 'talk'." I directed this at Scorpius, not particularly minding if Al heard.

Scorpius grinned at me, sending an enticing shiver through me. "Your place or mine?" he asked casually, making Al choke on imaginary water.

I narrowed my eyes at him, ignoring my body's reaction to his words. "Mine. But don't expect events to repeat themselves." His grin widened in response. Whether I was talking about me falling on my ass or him making me so nervous I ran out on him I don't know, but if I had my way neither would be happening again.

By this point, Al was looking from me to Scorpius and back again, completely lost. It will do him good to be left out of the loop for once; he is far too conceited otherwise.

I turned to leave.

"Laters, baby," Scorpius called out loudly after me. I laughed, and my elated mood followed me through the rest of the day.

Clearly, Scorpius and I being an 'item' was the hottest topic of the week. I finally realised why most of the female population were glaring at me. Scorpius was one of the schools most sought-after guys, and definitely the most desirable. I sympathized with them despite myself, as clearly I had fallen under his spell too.

The interesting thing is that I have always loved his personality. The way he laughed, the frown that crinkled his forehead when he was studying particularly hard, the way he smiled at me as though I was the only girl in the world… Yes, I had always loved those things. The interesting part was that only in the last month or so – since school started – that I started to notice his ridiculously good look too.

I'm sure he had always been good-looking, but he wasn't just handsome to me anymore. He was sexy, charming and completely enticing.

Needless to say, there was no way for me to stop loving him. nothing short of moving to the nearest planet anyway.

I was hiding in my (semi) secret room, hiding from all the whispers and stares while also waiting for Scorpius. I had already been back to my dorm to get changed into impatiently. I still couldn't work out how he even knew about this place.

Dinner wasn't even an option for me tonight. My nerves were too frayed from thinking about all the ways tonight could end.

Mostly, I was just hoping I wouldn't end up crying myself to sleep tonight.

The door was slightly ajar so I could hear when anyone approached. I needed all the forewarning I could get in order to mentally prepare myself. It scared me how nervous I was, knowing I would soon be alone with the man I loved.

Dinner must have finished because I hear the distant rumble of students, probably the Ravenclaws returning to their tower common room. My nerves spiked when, not long after, I hear the door connecting to the corridor outside opening. My heart leaps into my throat and remains wedged there as Scorpius appears in the doorway.

"Hey," he says softly, an unreadable expression in his eyes.

"You wanted to talk to me?" I prompt lightly, reclining on the love seat in an effort to appear more at ease. He sat down on the armchair across from me, moving so gracefully I felt a pang of jealousy. He settled himself in, looking as comfortable as I wanted to feel.

"I did indeed. I was hoping to ease into the conversation so I didn't startle you and have you run off on me again." He smirked at me, running his eyes up and down the length of my body. I flushed under his gaze. "I have to say, I preferred my shirt on you," he continued, and pouted. Yes, actually _pouted._ Could he get any cuter?

I tried to keep my mind off it, the better to keep my wits about me. "I prefer to wear it where no one can see me. To avoid unnecessary questions."

"If I had it my way, no one would have any questions about it if they saw you wearing it. It would be normal."

I shivered at the implications behind his words, not daring to latch any hope onto them. "It would be a bit strange for friends to suddenly start wearing each others clothes don't you think?" I asked, and rushed on when he opened his mouth. "Because that's all we are, Scorpius. That's all we've ever been." I held his gaze, daring him to contradict me. When he said nothing, my heart sank from my throat, bypassed the cavity it usually sat in and down into my stomach.

I stood up and wandered over to the bookcases, running my fingers along the dusty old spines. The familiar touch was comforting, reminding me there are things in life that do still make me happy.

"Just because that's how things are doesn't mean that's what I want." When Scorpius spoke, his voice was closer, yet softer. I turned to find him standing a metre from me, hands in his pockets and an impassive expression on his face. His hair was falling in his face and I longed to push it back for him.

"I thought we had already had this conversation," I said quietly, barely wanting to breath in case this turned out to be a dream. "Your family…"

Suddenly Scorpius was right in front of me, forcing me back into the bookcase and putting his hands on either side of my head. My breath caught in my throat, my heartbeat racing. I could feel his warmth, smell the sweet yet spicy aroma that was all him. it was overpowering and as a result I was like putty in his hands.

"My family has nothing to do with any relationship I chose to have. They don't decide who I spend my time with. Only I can do that." Wait, relationship? I widened my eyes as I gazed up at him, I thousand different replies quivering on the tip of my tongue. Slowly, as if scared of my reaction, he lowered his head until his forehead was resting lightly against mine.

Equally as slow, I raised my hands from my sides, resting them against his chest. The warmth radiating from him sent a shiver down my spine, erupting in my stomach. I then moved my hands up to his shoulders, feeling the taut muscles there and he closed his eyes. His breath in my face was cool and slightly uneven, giving away his feelings. I had to concentrate not to make any sudden moves should he decide this is a bad idea.

I knew this couldn't possibly end well, but I was beyond caring. I had waited far too long for his closeness and I wasn't about to throw away the opportunity that I had only dreamed about (on several occasions). I shifted slightly against the bookcase, becoming uncomfortable with the books digging into my back.

When I looked back up at Scorpius, he was watching me, grinning. "You are so beautiful. Especially when you're uncomfortable and crinkle your nose like that." I crinkled my nose at him, making him laugh. Smiling up at him, I found my gaze drawn to his lips.

"You shouldn't bite your lip like that. Who knows what might happen," Scorpius breathed, making my heartbeat spike. Oh god why did he have to have this effect on me? I couldn't concentrate, my only thought being that I wished he would kiss me.

I bit my lip again, this time on purpose, and he groaned softly. I tilted my head up, daring him with my eyes to kiss me. He leaned forward, gray eyes searching mine. He obviously saw whatever it was that he was looking for there because he closed the gap between us and claimed my lips with his. He brought his hands down to cup my face, holding me gently as I melted into his arms.

He pushed me back up against the bookcase, deepening the kiss and removing one hand from my face only to wrap it around my waist. My body easily moulded against his, as if it were made for just this purpose. This time I didn't mind the books digging into my backside, I would have happily stayed this way all night. This was a million times better than the last time we did this.

After what seemed like a blissful eternity, Scorpius pulls away, looking distinctly dishevelled. Breathing heavy, I smile impishly up at him. "That was quite definitely worth the wait."

"I could say the same, but I think we could do better." Scorpius grinned at me suggestively and I giggled. He tugged me close again, arm still around my waist. He then made us awkwardly walk over to the loveseat, which he sat down on, bringing me down with him so I was sitting in his lap.

"Well this brings back memories," I say wryly and regret it almost immediately when a pained expression crosses his face. "Sorry," I whisper, burying my face in the crook of his neck.

His arms tighten around me. "It's fine." He rests his head against my hair, inhaling deeply.

I pull back and fix him with a stare. "Did you just smell my hair?" I demand, not sure if I should find it as cute as I did. He grins at me.

"It's not my fault you always smell so wonderful," he says, his mood apparently cheerful once again. I blush. That was definitely cute. I rest my head back on his shoulder subtly inhaling his scent. Yeah, I know I'm a hypocrite, but he just smells so _wonderful_. Like a mixture of sandalwood, cinnamon and yummy goodness.

We sat like that for a while, just wanting to be close. I felt Scorpius shift and suddenly felt very self-conscious about how I was sitting across his lap.

"So what does this mean for us?" I asked, almost immediately wishing I hadn't said anything. I was positive he would say that it meant nothing. It had already happened once.

Scorpius tightened his arms around me, as if thinking I was about to run away. If I hadn't been dreading his response so much I probably would have thought it funny. "Way to ruin a moment Rose," he said wryly.

"I need to know," I said, pushing away from him once again. "I can't do this if it's just for your personal pleasure. That much has not changed." I fixed him with an unswerving stare.

"I know." Scorpius tugged me closer until our foreheads were touching. I could see a hundred different emotions flashing through his eyes. The internal struggle he was facing confused me. What could possibly be so difficult about just asking me out? My mind flew to his family. Of course. They would never approve of him dating someone like me.

My heart deflated like a balloon with a pin in its side. Will I ever be enough for anyone? I closed my eyes against the pain, struggling to keep my emotions in check. No way did I want him to see me upset and pity me.

"Rose." My eyes flew open. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Holy fucking shit.

**I was thinking about maybe writing a chapter from Scorpius' point of view, or part of a chapter from his point of view, but then I don't want to give away too much all at once… so depending on how my lovely reviewers feel, I might write it for one of the next few chapters. **

**Anyway, sorry for the late update, I actually started university today and somehow found some free time to finish this (two free hours waiting for my next class). So do enjoy the fruits of my labours! :) Oh and please let me know if there are any issues with either my writing or the story or if anything is too confusing and I will do my best to fix it!**


End file.
